The present invention relates to a method for selecting a telecommunications network from a heterogeneous set of wireless access networks forming an infrastructure capable of providing an overall link between a first terminal and a second terminal.
The current development of telecommunications systems tends towards an increasing convergence of multimedia services, accompanied by a diversified access with high mobility and wide geographical coverage.
This is demonstrated by the rapid growth in the production of mobile terminals with various data processing capacities, transmission ranges and multiple functions, such as for example personal digital assistants (PDA), personal mobile phones and portable computers, as well as the emergence of new wireless network access technologies such as in particular Wi-Fi, WiMax, UMTS and DVB-H.
Within the framework of an application supported by a telecommunications link between a first terminal and a second terminal, it is known to select a transport or carrier network of the application while taking into account global criteria relating to the link in its entirety.
It is also known when taking into account the overall link for network selection to consider the contextual information associated with the operator's network management policy, the expected quality of service according to the chosen network, the contextual information associated with the individual data processing and transmission capacity of the first and second terminals or with the user profile which sets predetermined subjective user criteria.
During the selection of a network, it can occur that the terminal network infrastructure access resources are limited or even unsuitable in relation to the contextual information described and itemized above.
A need therefore exists for adaptation of the network infrastructure access resources of at least one terminal to the application and the link desired by users.